St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s to Face Arizona in Hall of Fame Series New York on December 5 at MSG
6/12/2026 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Johnnies and Wildcats will square off at The World’s Most Famous Arena in marquee non-conference matchup
PHOENIX – The St. John's men's basketball team will take on Arizona in the Hall of Fame Series New York, a marquee non-conference matchup at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Dec. 5.
The two programs, led by the last two Naismith National Coaches of the Year, will square off at The World's Most Famous Arena for the second time and a return game is slated to be played in Phoenix in 2027. Game time, ticket information and the broadcast destination will be announced at a later date. Fans can visit HOFSeries.com or @HOFSeries for official pre-sale details, and event updates. This contest will be included in all St. John's season ticket packages.
"To play an early season matchup against Arizona at Madison Square Garden is not only great for all our St. John's fans, but also for our team," said Head Coach Rick Pitino. "Great competition early on gets you ready for conference and tournament play. Arizona is one of the premier programs in the nation and we look forward to a great challenge in getting ready for the Wildcats."
St. John's and Arizona will meet for the third time with the series split at one game apiece. In the last meeting, the Red Storm fended off a late comeback to down the No. 16/17 Wildcats, 70-67, at the Al Attles Hall of Fame Classic in San Francisco on Dec. 21, 2019. The first meeting came at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 17, 2011, when No. 15/16 Arizona outlasted St. John's in the 2K Sports Classic Semifinal despite a game-high 18 points from Nurideen Lindsey.
Pitino has gone up against Arizona four times in his career, all on a neutral floor, and holds a 2-2 record against the Wildcats. Two of the meetings came during the Hall of Famer's tenure at Louisville, including a dominant 103-64 victory for the Cardinals in the 2009 Sweet 16 in Indianapolis. While at Kentucky, Pitino's squad fell just short of winning back-to-back National Championships in the battle of the Wildcats, 84-79, in overtime in the 1997 national title game.
St. John's is coming off a 30-7 overall record during the 2025-26 campaign and an 18-2 mark in BIG EAST play, which tied the league record for most single-season conference wins for the second season in a row. The Johnnies finished the season ranked no. 10 in the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches poll and made their 10th appearance in the Sweet 16.
Arizona is fresh off a West Region title and Final Four appearance, the program's first in 25 years, this past season. The Wildcats recorded a 36-3 overall record during the 2025-26 campaign, the winningest season in program history. The squad will return a pair of regular starters in All-Big 12 First Team selection Motiejus Krivas and rising sophomore Ivan Kharchenkov.
Head Coach Tommy Lloyd was named the 2026 Naismith National Coach of the Year after another terrific campaign. In five years at the helm, Lloyd has racked up 148 victories, which set a new NCAA record for the most by any coach in his first five seasons.
The Hall of Fame Series is run by Position Sports in partnership with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The series annually showcases non-conference contests between top programs while celebrating the legacy and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and its impact on the game.
The two programs, led by the last two Naismith National Coaches of the Year, will square off at The World's Most Famous Arena for the second time and a return game is slated to be played in Phoenix in 2027. Game time, ticket information and the broadcast destination will be announced at a later date. Fans can visit HOFSeries.com or @HOFSeries for official pre-sale details, and event updates. This contest will be included in all St. John's season ticket packages.
"To play an early season matchup against Arizona at Madison Square Garden is not only great for all our St. John's fans, but also for our team," said Head Coach Rick Pitino. "Great competition early on gets you ready for conference and tournament play. Arizona is one of the premier programs in the nation and we look forward to a great challenge in getting ready for the Wildcats."
St. John's and Arizona will meet for the third time with the series split at one game apiece. In the last meeting, the Red Storm fended off a late comeback to down the No. 16/17 Wildcats, 70-67, at the Al Attles Hall of Fame Classic in San Francisco on Dec. 21, 2019. The first meeting came at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 17, 2011, when No. 15/16 Arizona outlasted St. John's in the 2K Sports Classic Semifinal despite a game-high 18 points from Nurideen Lindsey.
Pitino has gone up against Arizona four times in his career, all on a neutral floor, and holds a 2-2 record against the Wildcats. Two of the meetings came during the Hall of Famer's tenure at Louisville, including a dominant 103-64 victory for the Cardinals in the 2009 Sweet 16 in Indianapolis. While at Kentucky, Pitino's squad fell just short of winning back-to-back National Championships in the battle of the Wildcats, 84-79, in overtime in the 1997 national title game.
St. John's is coming off a 30-7 overall record during the 2025-26 campaign and an 18-2 mark in BIG EAST play, which tied the league record for most single-season conference wins for the second season in a row. The Johnnies finished the season ranked no. 10 in the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches poll and made their 10th appearance in the Sweet 16.
Arizona is fresh off a West Region title and Final Four appearance, the program's first in 25 years, this past season. The Wildcats recorded a 36-3 overall record during the 2025-26 campaign, the winningest season in program history. The squad will return a pair of regular starters in All-Big 12 First Team selection Motiejus Krivas and rising sophomore Ivan Kharchenkov.
Head Coach Tommy Lloyd was named the 2026 Naismith National Coach of the Year after another terrific campaign. In five years at the helm, Lloyd has racked up 148 victories, which set a new NCAA record for the most by any coach in his first five seasons.
The Hall of Fame Series is run by Position Sports in partnership with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The series annually showcases non-conference contests between top programs while celebrating the legacy and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and its impact on the game.
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